Maria da Conceicao is a Portuguese athlete in endurance sports and an international keynote speaker with a mission to inspire people to fight for their dreams. For the past 20 years, she has been collecting awards and recognitions worldwide, but her story wasn’t always so flashy. She comes from a... Read more
Maria da Conceicao is a Portuguese athlete in endurance sports and an international keynote speaker with a mission to inspire people to fight for their dreams.
For the past 20 years, she has been collecting awards and recognitions worldwide, but her story wasn’t always so flashy. She comes from a very humble origin and was raised to be a cleaning lady. Her story starts in a modest neighborhood in the Portuguese town of Avanca.
She had two moms. One left when Maria was 2 years old to seek a better life, but never came back. The other, Maria Cristina, was a widow refugee from Angola with six children who adopted and took care of her until she passed away when Maria was 9.
Maria Cristina became a role model. She taught Maria to act against injustice, to work hard, and that the recipe to get far in life is perseverance and work. Maria absorbed all her lessons and did her best to honor her memory.
She started as a cleaning lady and eventually became an air hostess for Dubai’s royal family. One official visit to Bangladesh changed her life. Faced with extreme poverty, Maria Cristina’s words echoed louder than ever, and Maria felt it was her duty to act. She created a school and a foundation, and partnered with companies to give students internships.
With no money to fund the project, she turned to sports—despite having no background and being close to 40. In 2013, she became the first Portuguese woman to summit Mount Everest. She now holds 10 Guinness World Records and became the first Portuguese woman to summit Everest and K2.
Despite fearing public speaking, Maria stepped into the spotlight to share her story and inspire others. Her mission continues—to give opportunities to vulnerable children, and to keep proving what’s possible with grit, heart, and purpose.
Maria’s story is living proof that no dream is too big and no goal too audacious. From a childhood with no prospects to becoming the first Portuguese woman to summit Everest and K2 and earning 10 Guinness World Records, Maria demonstrates the mindset, discipline, and heart it takes to achieve...
Maria’s journey is a powerful testament to resilience. Raised in poverty and expected to become a cleaning lady, she faced abandonment, loss, and overwhelming odds from an early age. Yet, through unwavering perseverance and the lessons of her adoptive mother, Maria transformed adversity into purpose. With no athletic background and...
Maria’s mission has always gone beyond personal success. After witnessing extreme poverty in Bangladesh, she was moved to action—not with money or resources, but with determination. She founded a school and a foundation to give vulnerable children access to education and opportunity, just like her adoptive mother once gave her....